Beer, brewing and poker, with possibly some inane drivel on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Monday, November 14, 2005

9th/87 in the WWdN Thursday night warm-up.7th/93 in the Dr Pauly's Race for the Hangover Cure tourney.4th/33 in the WPBT Shootout.10th/180 Stars 20 table SNG

Since Thursday, I've final tabled in 3 touraments and final table bubbled in one other. I'm still stinging a little bit by how I went out of the WPBT shootout, but I'll get to that in a little bit.

Yes, I said that I hate tournaments, and they are a bane to my poker existence, but I just can't seem to get away from them with results like I had this weekend. True, I'm still missing a win and a big score, but that has to come sometime, right? Probably not, but it's something to work for. For now, I'll continue to play them sporadically, and when other bloggers are involved. The support does help.

That said, though, these blogger tourneys can only help one's game. I'd like to attribute my game getting recently to not being able to play like a dumbass in front of people I respect, and seek the same in kind. When I'm playing in a tourney with a bunch of randoms, I tend to lack patience and the ability to pay attention. You can't do that with the likes of Grob, Joe Speaker and Jason Spacemen at your table. It simply is not allowed.

I got zero cards for the first hour of the Shoutout tourney on Full Tilt, and even if I wanted to limp with speculative hands, I know it's just not possible. It's going to get raised and possibly even reraised with both people showing down very little, so I know better than to get in the middle of that. Even so, I'm happy with the way I played right around the final table bubble.

And I think that having 'bubble time' skills is crucial to tournament poker, and something I've improved upon in the last few months. I'm not the player--yet--that chips up easily into a decent stack, so I find myself having to double-up at least once in most tournaments to survive. Most people do. I've learned the patience to jam at the right time, against the right people. And to not attempt to steal from under the gun with small aces. That too.

Back to the WPBT shoot-out; I was in double-up mode with around 15 people left. I had an M of 5-6, so my only move was to jam with any two decent cards. Those cards were KK. Twice in 4 hands. I didn't get a call with either, but it allowed me to gain a few more blinds and antes that I desperately needed. I couldn't play them any different, either. I hadn't raised all afternoon, and suddenly come in with a raise of half my stack?

ALARM! GUARDS!

If my defective memory serves me correctly, I pushed close to 356 times--give or take two--before doubling up with A7s vs. 99 and having a shot at winning a seat. That is, until my final hand.

Down to the final 4 and KK in the small blind? Wow. And a raise by Jason on the button? Double wow.

And double-up!

Until he(reluctantly, I'm sure) called with AA.

Ouch.

Play perfect all-in monkey poker for over two hours, and that happens. Not a bad beat, just rotten timing.

I was much happier with my seat draw at this final table, what with two somewhat short stacks to my left so steals were easier to come by. Not at all like my final table seat in Pauly's saturday tourney--two maniac big stacks directly to my left does not an easy final table make.